15 things we overpay for

This list came from via . Some of them are obvious, some of them made me cringe. How many items do you overpay for? Scroll down for my answer.

Pseudo Health Products – Like the “protein bars” that are presented as “low fat” or “all natural” even though can end up just as unhealthy as candy bars (the sugar!), while costing up to five times as much.

Brand New Technology – It is well documented that technology prices come down considerably once new products have been on the market for several months to a year. Additionally, waiting allows time for other companies to release competitive technology, presumably leading to better overall products becoming available in the marketplace.

Bottled Water – This is probably the most overpriced of all regularly consumed products. Over 2/3 of the world is covered in water, and filters to covert ‘tap water’ into filtered water are readily available for under twenty dollars. However, millions of people choose to $1-2 on this convenience item each day.

Individual Coffee Cups – Individual cups of coffee purchased anywhere, whether from restaurants, gas stations, or coffee shops, are invariably priced high. Especially when compared to what one could buy and prepare coffee for in bulk at home.

Prepackaged Food – Buying prepackaged food items such as sandwiches…… sliced apples, or desert cups is one way of overspending on products that are relatively easy to make, and less expensive then when you buy the ingredients which can also give you more servings.

Apple Brand Accessories -Apple has built a cult-following over the past decade, and they are able to demand premium prices for many of their aftermarket accessories. There are, however, a number of manufacturers that make products that are compatible with their mp3 players and other products, available for a fraction of the cost.

Sending a Fax from a Business Center – There are a number of free web-based fax services, for which you only need an email address and a scanner. Sending faxes from places such as Kinkos can cost $1 per page for local, and $2 per page for long-distance faxes.

Car Maintenance from the Dealership – Unless a car is under warranty, going to a dealership for a repair is one sure way to overspend. Car dealerships often promise that certain work can only be done by authorized dealerships, and are less-inclined to negotiate prices, something that should be done with any type of auto maintenance.

Music – There is no longer the need to purchase an entire album, now music fans can compartmentalize music purchases to the individual song level with sites like iTunes or Pandora.com.

Additional Warrantees on Electronics – The typical lifespan of electronics products are 3-5 years. So if you think you will upgrade the item within 5 years, or before you will repair it, is the cost (can be up to 50% of the purchase price) worth it?

Late Fees/Overdraft Fees – Paying late fees on credit cards and bills, and overdraft fees on bank accounts can be a disheartening use of one’s hard-earned money. Especially when a minimum payment on a credit card of $15 is missed, resulting in a late fee that can be as high as $39 (and perhaps result in an APR% increase). Overdraft fees add up, especially when they are made in quick succession, resulting in fees for each transaction made while an account is overdrawn.

Non Bank ATM Fees – ATM Fees can add up. They can also be slightly misleading; it’s not unusual for ATM convenience fees to cost $2.00, and for the card-issuing bank to charge up to an additional $2.50 as a non-bank ATM Fee. As a result, it may cost up $4.50 to withdraw $20.00.

Subscriptions to Print Publications – Most print publications’ online counterparts offer the same articles and features, and it’s usually entirely free – often with archives too.

DVDs – Now there are many alternatives for individuals to watch movies without having to purchase them – Netflix offers unlimited monthly rentals, and websites such as Hulu.com, enable users to watch thousands of its titles for free.

Flowers from a Florist – Flowers are often overpriced, especially at florists, and always around the holidays, so your best bet is go to your grocery store, they are often a fraction of the price.

I scored a 5.

1-I have a huge box of Cliff Bars in my kitchen right now.

4-I love Starbucks as a special treat.

7-I rarely send faxes from a business center but have done this in the past.

Comments

3 – Except for the occasional splurge on Fiji water bottles at TJ’s (when I have a gift card), I buy the TJ’s brand bottled water in cases–the BIG bottles (maybe 1.5 liters?). The whole case is $5 and change! I’m a “water snob” and there are certain brands that I just don’t like the taste of (yes, I can tell!), but the TJ’s water is just fine by me!

5 – Prepackaged food is soooo easy, and that’s why they sell it & make so much money from it…but, I have to say, I buy pineapples frequently at Ralph’s or Albertson’s, especially if they’re on sale. They are super easy to cut up, and I throw the chunks into some gladware and have a yummy afternoon snack at work for a few days. I’ve never had prepackaged pineapple taste as good as a fresh one I’ve cut up myself. So keep that in mind…it may be easier, but you might be sacrificing quality/taste at the same time!

15 – I worked in a flower shop during college, and I have to say, while grocery store flowers are cheaper and easier, you really are getting your money’s worth when you buy from a florist. Boyfriend got me a gorgeous arrangement for Valentine’s Day from a local florist, and I still have a few of the flowers on my nightstand…It’s been a long time since I got flowers that I didn’t buy for myself at TJ’s, so I was astounded when they were still alive & thriving after a week! Even now, the last scragglers are going on almost 2 weeks! I’m usually lucky if TJ’s flowers last a whole week!

Another thing about flowers, if you want to send someone an arrangement, I realize that all the florist websites are quick and easy and cheap, but you will get more bang for your buck if you call a local florist (wherever the recipient lives) and tell them how much you want to spend & what you want (taking the delivery charge into account). With the 1800 Flowers-type websites, you never know what you’re actually going to get, especially if you’re sending them out of city or state and likely will never see them. You can get an affordable arrangement by dealing directly with the local florist. I, personally, don’t like baby’s breath or carnations, and I always make sure to mention that when ordering flowers! But, even if you aren’t sure of what you want, speaking to someone directly can make the process a lot easier–and maybe even cheaper! Also remember, if you call a florist and request a wrapped bouquet instead of a vase arrangement, you will DEFINITELY get more for your dollar. As long as the recipient won’t mind arranging the flowers themself when they arrive!

Mags, you have some good points. I think the flowers from florists are better quality and can last longer. And prepacked food is more expensive than cooking yourself, but a huge savings over take out. I think you are silly, however, for buying bottled water. I have a Britta filter and it works great. We all have our own splurges, though. I probably buy stuff that you think is a total waste!

We are firm believers of getting rid of water bottles as they are are bad for the environment. Please consider getting a filter and this give you much better water than anything you could get from a water company. Researching water and you’ll find that most of the water is closer to tap!

Speaking of flowers.My guy got my birthday flowers (in January) from Costco. They were gorgeous and lasted over 2 weeks. For Valentines he got me flowers from ProFlowers and they only lasted about a week. And the cost was twice Costco’s price. Costco has a florist on site usually and he can tell you exactly when the flowers came in and how long they will last. For a last minute need I’ll use Trader Joes if I can’t make it to Costco.

I used to buy bottled water for convenience when I went on short trips, even though I had a Brita pitcher of water in the fridge. Now I reuse bottles filled with filtered tap water, which I flavor with a wedge of lime or lemon to make it more palatable. Beats any cost of bottled water.

MY BOSS JUST SOLD HIS MINI AT 80K MILES (TO GET A NEW ONE) AND HAD MINIMAL PROBLEMS WITH IT IN THE 4+ YEARS HE HAD IT. JULIA AND OTHER MINI OWNERS, STEVE’S AUTO CLINIC ON NORDHOFF IN NORTH HILLS OFFERS EXCELLENT SERVICE ON MINIS AT VERY GOOD PRICES AND IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED BY SAID BOSS.

I don’t know. But a major newspaper in Denver, the Rocky Mountain News, is closing its doors Friday. There is a chance the San Francisco Chronicle may close too. If newspapers are actually dying, what’s to say it won’t happen with magazines? I hope more news outlets transition completely online. The cost of doing business is much diminished.

I’ve generally kept a subscription to one or another home magazine – with articles, recipes, suggestions, etc. I don’t think buying one of these is wasted money compared to getting it online. I can read a print magazine anywhere, any time. I don’t need to cut, paste, or print-with-expensive-printer-ink the articles I want to save. I can relish reading the entire issue at my own convenience and speed. Reading in front of the computer just isn’t relaxing – it’s just not the same as sitting in my favorite chair or laying in bed.

And I echo what Sherry said. They can’t do the online version for free if there are no subscribers to their print versions. They can’t pay their photographers, writers, researchers, models, etc, just from online readers.

I’m glad to support the magazines I like by subscribing to them.

On the other hand, if all the celebrity trashy magazines stopped, I wouldn’t care a whit . . .

My bank has no branch locations or atms of it’s own. Everything is done online. Because the have limited overhead they pay back all the ATM charges. People should look into this option when choosing their bank.

The bank I use is USAA. Unfortunately there are some eligibility requirements:
 Children of USAA members.
 Active-duty officers and enlisted personnel.
 National Guard and Selected Reserve officers and enlisted personnel.
 Officer candidates in commissioning programs (Academy, ROTC, OCS/OTS).
 Former military personnel:
 Retired officers and enlisted personnel.
 Former officers and enlisted personnel who separated on or after 01/01/1996.

I have heard of other online banks that have the same perk. I think that Ing may have been one of them.

FOLLOW UP: Julia, you are totally right, thank you for calling me out on the bottled water thing! I’ve been really turned off by my Brita the past year or so because it is old. Uh HELLO Mags…cough up the $20 at Target to buy a shiny new one that you are comfortable drinking out of!

As if I needed another “excuse” to go to Target this weekend! Thanks 🙂

I agree with Hilary about the printed word publications. I think the thing that’s sad about newspapers and magazines ceasing is what I don’t hear discussed: What will the aged or computer challenged do for their world news and reading entertainment? Not everyone has a computer, and some may decide they can no longer afford the ever-rising internet connection costs. I like reading my newspaper over a cup of coffee at the kitchen table, while sharing the bits of news with my 89 year old mother…I would miss that.

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